July 28, 2014

We have another great new update for our Legacy Family Tree 8 users (free) for you to download. This update is mostly a maintenance update, addressing and adjusting minor issues you have reported to us.

See the download instructions below for step-by-step instructions on installing this update.

For our Deluxe Edition users, all you have to do is connect to the Internet, start Legacy 8, and click on the "Install and Download Now" link on the Legacy Home tab. (If you're reading this from within the Legacy Home tab inside of Legacy 8, you'll first need to click on the Home button in the top left of the Legacy Home tab which looks like the following picture:

Genealogical sources of all kinds contain errors, both accidental and intentional, that mislead. Standard tests expose the errors, helping researchers make correct conclusions. Join Tom Jones this Saturday for his webinar, "Debunking Misleading Records," being broadcast live from the "Summer Genealogy Fest" in Eugene, Oregon.

Join us for the live webinar Saturday, August 2, 2014 at 4:15pm Eastern U.S. Register today to reserve your virtual seat. Registration is free but space is limited to the first 1,000 people to join that day. Before joining, please visit www.java.com to ensure you have the latest version of Java which our webinar software requires. When you join, if you receive a message that the webinar is full, you know we've reached the 1,000 limit, so we invite you to view the recording which should be published to the webinar archives within an hour or two of the event's conclusion.

Download the syllabus

In preparation for the webinar, download Tom's 4 pages of supplemental syllabus materials here. The syllabus is available for annual or monthly webinar subscribers. Log in here or subscribe here.

No worries. Its recording will be available for a limited time. Webinar Subscribers have unlimited access to all webinar recordings for the duration of their membership.

About the presenter

Tom Jones is an award-winning genealogical researcher, writer, editor, and educator. He has co-edited the National Genealogical Society Quarterly since 2002, and he is the author of the textbook Mastering Genealogical Proof. He has been certified by the Board for Certification of Genealogists since 1994. A professor emeritus at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., Tom teaches genealogical research methods at Boston University and week-long genealogy institutes. He speaks at national, regional, and local seminars in the United States and internationally, and he writes frequently on genealogical evidence, proof, and problem solving.

Add it to your Google Calendar

With our Google Calendar button, you will never forget our upcoming webinars. Simply click the button to add it to your calendar. You can then optionally embed the webinar events (and even turn them on and off) into your own personal calendar. If you have already added the calendar, you do not have to do it again - the new webinar events will automatically appear.

July 23, 2014

Crash Course in Family History, 5th Edition is one of the most beautiful and resourceful genealogy books we've seen. We wholeheartedly endorse and support the author, Paul Larsen, in the latest edition of his award-winning book.

Features 3-Easy-Steps...to trace your family roots and stories. Walks you through the fascinating family history journey hand-in-hand! It couldn't be easier!

Updated and ExpandedThe new epic Fifth Edition has been updated and expanded with 100 more pages of the best essential resources.

Easier and FasterDiscovering your family roots and story can be a life-changing experience. Learning about your ancestors, and how they met life's challenges, can bring new perspective and understanding to your own life. Now its easier and faster with this epic new step-by-step guide from Paul Larsen.

Today's Technology

This dynamic new fifth edition - available in both hardcover and e-book- is an illustrated guidebook and comprehensive resource directory to help you discover your family tree and story better than ever before using today's technology.

Latest and Best ResourcesPaul Larsen has done the legwork for you. He has scoured the Web and consumer reports to bring you the latest and best resources. This widely-acclaimed, best-selling guidebook has been updated and greatly expanded, and is the essential and perfect guide to discover your family roots and stories. It enables easier and faster ways of searching and organizing your family tree, collaborating with others, and connecting to your ancestors.

Discover Missing InformationIt will help you discover missing information on your family tree, and add richness to your family story. And perhaps change your life!

LEARN ABOUT THE FEATURES AND BENEFITS OF HUNDREDS OF NEW WEBSITES AND RESOURCES

10 Essential Websites to Search

10 Things You Can Do to Get Started

7 Steps to Find Your Ancestral Village

FREE Genealogy Records to Make Your Research Easier and Faster

FREE Genealogy Charts and Forms

FREE Genealogy Websites

How to Find Lost Living Relatives

How to Use Goggle Earth to Find Your Ancestral Home

How to Discover Your Family Stories

How to Find Your Ancestors in the Military

How to Find Your Birth Parents

How to Network with Others

The high-quality, illustrated, full-color hardcover book (an 8.5 x 11" large format) is an exceptional value. The PDF e-book can be easily viewed by Windows, Mac, iPad (all tablets), e-Readers and Smartphones. It contains "live" (hyperlinked) websites, linked tutorial videos, and much more in a user-friendly style.

Another stellar presentation from Thomas MacEntee! The recording of today's webinar, "Researching Your Illinois Ancestors" by Thomas MacEntee is now available to view at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com for free for a limited time. A few comments from our viewers:

Yet another Webinar jam-packed with pertinent genealogy information...way to go Geoff and Thomas...

Yes I do have relatives in Illinois that I am researching...BUT even if I didn't, I would have still signed up for this webinar because it was given by Thomas McEntee...Why...because his webinars are very instructive in how to research....wherever or what ever you are looking for!!!

Thomas is a great presenter. Just love all of these webinars. Thanks so much for offering them AND the annual membership. I've just rernewed for my second year. It's the best value in genealogy!!!

View the Recording at FamilyTreeWebinars.com

If you could not make it to the live event or just want to watch it again, the 1 hour 31 minute recording of "Researching Your Illinois Ancestors" is now available to view in our webinar archives for free for a limited time. It is also available to our monthly or annual Webinar Members for the duration of your membership. Visit www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com to watch. The 4 pages of supplemental syllabus materials are also available for annual/monthly webinar subscribers to download/print/save. Login or subscribe.

Legacy QuickGuide: Illinois Genealogy - $2.95

Looking for those elusive Prairie State ancestors? The Illinois Genealogy Legacy QuickGuide™ contains useful information including a timeline of Illinois history events, tips on Illinois research strategy, outline of major immigrant groups, and more. Also included are links to websites and resources covering vital records, church records, census records, as well as general Illinois resources. This handy 7-page PDF guide can be used on your computer or mobile device for anytime access.

July 21, 2014

Have you hit an impasse in your genealogy research? Do you keep searching the same databases only to get the same negative results? Has the paper trail back to your ancestors gone cold? At one time or another even the best researchers get stuck in a genealogy rut. Here are three ways you can bounce back and find new inspiration.

1. Review Your Research.

Many times our biggest research roadblocks result from missing important details or clues the first time around. Perhaps you did not listen carefully when you interviewed Aunt Betty, or somehow misunderstood the name of the ancestral village she mentioned. Or, maybe you were in a hurry when you photocopied a page from a book at the library or from the microfilm reel at your Family History Center, or when you rapidly downloaded records from an online database. A second look can give you insights into a missed maiden name, a questionable connection in a family line, or an incorrect source citation.

2. Read, Understand and Evaluate.

Be honest, how many times do you go to Google, or open an online database and just randomly type in the names you are researching? I do it too. In reality, your first step should be to read the directions! Look at the About section, the Help section, or the Frequently Asked Questions section so you know exactly what a collection contains and what is not included. Two of the biggest online content providers, FamilySearch (free) and subscription site, Ancestry.com both have detailed notes explaining their collections and tips for how to search them. Both sites also have free learning centers with videos and tutorials. Successful database searches depend upon creativity. Try different ways of searching and notice how the changes you’ve made are being interpreted by the search engine and then adapt your search criteria accordingly. Every search engine works a little differently. The search criteria that you use on one site may return entirely different results when used on a different site. Remember: Broad searching is NOT always the best approach. Look carefully at the search fields before you enter your terms. Understand what you are viewing (an index or abstract versus an actual scan of the original image). Evaluate each result and scroll down to the bottom to check the source citation for what you are viewing. Then, write down or save/print the instructions of where you will need to go next for more information. For example, if you see just an index of a marriage record, is there a notation stating where you can obtain the actual record through online ordering, mail request, or in person?

3. Banish “Brick Wall” from your vocabulary. Genealogists like to use the metaphor “brick wall” to describe that seemingly unsolvable research problem, or a roadblock or impasse encountered when trying to get back further in time with one or more family lines. More often than not, we have just run out of resources, can’t easily locate information, haven’t looked beyond the obvious, or have unrealistic expectations. Make sure you have conducted a “reasonably exhaustive search” (Check out the webinar “What is a Reasonably Exhaustive Search” by Michael Hait from September 2012 to learn more about this process). Finally, consider the steps you need to take to look at additional resources and how to use new media solutions to connect with cousins, discover fresh leads, and crowd source your research problems.

Want even more tips on how to rescue your research? Sign up for the free Legacy Family Tree webinar I will be presenting on August 8, 2014: “Research Recharge Turning Old Clues into New Leads.” In this webinar you will learn fresh ways of looking at data you've already collected, strategies for smarter searching your favorite databases (and new ones) for clues, and tips for identifying what you may have missed the first time around.

While Illinois genealogy research is no easier or more difficult than other states, there are special resources with which many genealogists are unfamiliar. Learn about the history of the Prairie State and its migration patterns to understand how your ancestors lived and how to find them!

Join us for the live webinar Wednesday, July 23, 2014 at 2pm Eastern U.S. Register today to reserve your virtual seat. Registration is free but space is limited to the first 1,000 people to join that day. Before joining, please visit www.java.com to ensure you have the latest version of Java which our webinar software requires. When you join, if you receive a message that the webinar is full, you know we've reached the 1,000 limit, so we invite you to view the recording which should be published to the webinar archives within an hour or two of the event's conclusion.

No worries. Its recording will be available for a limited time. Webinar Subscribers have unlimited access to all webinar recordings for the duration of their membership.

About the presenter

When Thomas MacEntee is not busy writing blog posts, organizing the 2500+ members of GeneaBloggers, teaching online genealogy webinars and more, Thomas MacEntee is busy in his role as “genealogy ninja.” Stealth is not always easy, but Thomas manages to get the inside track on emerging technologies and vendors as they relate to the genealogy industry. After being laid off from a 25-year career in the tech industry in 2008, Thomas has been able to “repurpose” his skill set for the genealogy community and loves to see other genealogists succeed, whether it is with their own research or building their own careers in the field. You can reach Thomas at hidefgen@gmail.com or visit his site at High-Definition Genealogy.

With our Google Calendar button, you will never forget our upcoming webinars. Simply click the button to add it to your calendar. You can then optionally embed the webinar events (and even turn them on and off) into your own personal calendar. If you have already added the calendar, you do not have to do it again - the new webinar events will automatically appear.

July 16, 2014

You do not need any connection to the Civil War, African-American ancestors, or even to America to count today's webinar as one of the finest we have ever had! The recording of today's webinar, "When Freedom Came - Documenting the Family's Freedom Story" by Angela Walton-Raji is now available to view at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com for free for a limited time. A few comments from our viewers:

Angela has a genuine gift to weave an engaging story and teach at the same time.

Angela's information was very useful, even though I don't have any African heritage, that I have found. Her compelling stories have made me more anxious to out more about my ancestor's lives, and to document our stories for the future generations.

So touching - all those stories. I am so impressed by Angela's commitment to excellence in turning over every stone (branch/root) that might uncover one of her missing ancestors. I try to do the same.

View the Recording at FamilyTreeWebinars.com

If you could not make it to the live event or just want to watch it again, the 1 hour 26 minute recording of "When Freedom Came - Documenting the Family's Freedom Story" is now available to view in our webinar archives for free for a limited time. It is also available to our monthly or annual Webinar Members for the duration of your membership. Visit www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com to watch. The 6 pages of supplemental syllabus materials are also available for annual/monthly webinar subscribers to download/print/save. Login or subscribe.

Legacy QuickGuide: African-American Genealogy - $2.95

These standards apply to all genealogical research, whether shared privately or published. They also apply to personal research for clients, courts, and other employers. The standards address documentation; research planning and execution, including reasoning from evidence; compiling research results; genealogical education; and ongoing development of genealogical knowledge and skills.

The special discount coupon of freedom that was announced during the webinar is valid for 10% off anything at both www.LegacyFamilyTreeStore.com and www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com through Monday, July 21, 2014.

July 14, 2014

Mark your calendars for Saturday, August 2 at 4:15pm Eastern U.S. time. Get rid of doctor appointments, movie times, and anything else you have scheduled - this event will easily trump all of your existing plans.

Tom Jones, an award-winning genealogical researcher, writer, editor, and educator will be presenting "Debunking Misleading Records" to our live FamilyTreeWebinars.com audience. The class will be broadcast from the Genealogical Council of Oregon's "Summer Genealogy Fest" in Eugene, Oregon. Thanks to the council, the Oregon Association of Professional Genealogists, and to Tom Jones for making this happen!

If you have attended one of Tom's classes, then you know that you should arrive to the webinar early as only the first 1,000 to join that day will be able to participate. If you have not had the pleasure to listen to Tom you're in for a real treat! See you online or in Eugene!

Researching the history of African American families can be complicated. With families once enslaved, the task involves tracing the family back in public records, identifying the last known slave holder, and then researching the slaveholder’s history to continue to document the family. However, one major story is often overlooked. The story of how freedom came to the family is the one story untold. This webinar, presented by Angela Walton-Raji, will illustrate methods of discovering that missing story, and how to find clues when the ancestors left no stories behind.

Join us for the live webinar Wednesday, July 16, 2014 at 2pm Eastern U.S. Register today to reserve your virtual seat. Registration is free but space is limited to the first 1,000 people to join that day. Before joining, please visit www.java.com to ensure you have the latest version of Java which our webinar software requires. When you join, if you receive a message that the webinar is full, you know we've reached the 1,000 limit, so we invite you to view the recording which should be published to the webinar archives within an hour or two of the event's conclusion.

Download the syllabus

In preparation for the webinar, download Angela's 6 pages of supplemental syllabus materials here. The syllabus is available for annual or monthly webinar subscribers. Log in here or subscribe here.

No worries. Its recording will be available for a limited time. Webinar Subscribers have unlimited access to all webinar recordings for the duration of their membership.

About the presenter

A founding member of AfriGeneas.com, Ms. Walton-Raji is also a genealogist specializing in information for beginners, via daily and weekly online genealogy chats on AfriGeneas. As host of a weekly genealogy podcast, a number of instructional videos and as an expert consultant on video documentaries, Ms. Walton-Raji combines her skills as a genealogist with a warm on camera personality that brings comfort to her viewers through and her instructional videos on YouTube, while providing them with useful information. She is a published author, host of 3 blogs, in addition to a 10-year ongoing message board, 3 websites, and The African Roots Podcast.

With our Google Calendar button, you will never forget our upcoming webinars. Simply click the button to add it to your calendar. You can then optionally embed the webinar events (and even turn them on and off) into your own personal calendar. If you have already added the calendar, you do not have to do it again - the new webinar events will automatically appear.

July 11, 2014

The recording of today's Legacy Family Tree Virtual User's Group meeting is now available to view at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com for free. We learned about dates, searching, and tagging. A few comments from our viewers:

My wife & I didn't really appreciate or understand tags before this seminar, but this has opened up a whole new set of tools for us. Thank you so much for this in-depth, practical hands-on demonstration. Masterfully done!

Fabulous!!! The information on tagging really helped me understand both how and why to use it.

Geoff, you convinced me. I have been avoiding searching and tagging but as of today, I will be using it. Thank you so much for these webinars on using Legacy.

It looks like before I get too far along I had better switch to Legacy. I sure like all you can do with it. You are making a believer out of me.

View the Recording at FamilyTreeWebinars.com

If you could not make it to the live event or just want to watch it again, the 1 hour 35 minute recording of "Legacy Family Tree - Virtual User's Group Meeting" is now available to view in our webinar archives for free. Visit www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com to watch. The 13 pages of supplemental syllabus materials are also available to download/print/save.

Legacy Family Tree - Unlocked! $19.95 (printed) or $14.95 (PDF)

These standards apply to all genealogical research, whether shared privately or published. They also apply to personal research for clients, courts, and other employers. The standards address documentation; research planning and execution, including reasoning from evidence; compiling research results; genealogical education; and ongoing development of genealogical knowledge and skills.

The special discount coupon of legacyweb2 that was announced during the webinar is valid for 10% off anything at both www.LegacyFamilyTreeStore.com and www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com through Tuesday, July 15, 2014.